Shoe stretching device



Dec. 12, 1933. w. A. RIX

SHOE STRETCHING DEVICE Filed March 12, 1932 INVENTOR Warren H. fax

BY 5% 2? @Vzdz ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 12, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT] OFFICE" 1,938,641 snon STRETOHINGDEVICE Warren A. Rix, Los Angeles, Calif. Application March 12, 1932. Serial No. 598,371

I 2 Claims. (Cl. 12-1292) This invention relates to means for stretching shoes, having particularly for its object the concentration of the stretching process at any predetermined point or points on the vamp of the 5 shoe, so as to accentuate stretching thereat. Heretofore stretchers in common use have been designed to distribute' stretching uniformly on both sides of the vamp of the shoe, when often, as in the case of persons afflicted with bunions or other slight deformities or abnormalities of the foot, only a limited and specifically directed and localized stretching is desired to secure a proper fit.

In the accompanying drawing-Fig. 1 is a view in perspective and elevation showing a form of the devi e applied to a shoe; Fig. 2 is a view partly in plan and partly in perspective of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section on 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the stretcher removed from the shoe.

While the invention as illustrated and de-- scribed in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, is shown applied so as to concentrate stretching principally at a single point in the shoe, it is apparent that, the principle being understood, by shifting it to difierent positions on the shoe, quite different concentrated stretching effects can be produced at any desired point on either side of the vamp. It is also obvious that means other than those shown in the drawing for filling the shoe, such as a common shoe tree, may be used, and that any interior stretcher or any filling means could be additionally padded or filled out at any point desired to accentuate stretching at that point.

Considering in detail the drawing, the numerals of which refer to similar parts throughout the several views, 1-1 indicate the approximately equal longitudinal halves of a block of wood or metal shaped to conform generally to the interior of a shoe and comprising with the screw and wedging mechanism hereinafter more specifically referred to, a common, wellkncwn form of shoe stretcher heretofore extensively used. The details of construction of such 01d form of stretcher are not part of the present invention, but it (or some other form of expansible device or of a device to fill the shoe,

the'other pin will be apparent.

coupled hinged relationship (so as to permit their forward portions to be wedged apart) by a stud or pinextending (one end of which is indicated at 2'Fig. 1) at right angles to adjoining faces through the. heel portions of parts 1-1 to each of which it is secured by a pin,

the head of one of which being, shown at. 3

(Fig. 1), from which the location and action of This coupling stud 2.is.enlarged, at its central portion between the halves 1-1 which are hollowed out, respectively, at their adjoiningfaces to accommodate it, so as to permit the screw means 4 to be threaded through the enlarged central portion of the stud to secure the wedging action hereinafter described. The wedge 5 slides longitudinally through like oppositely disposed slots or grooves in approximately the central portion of opposing faces of parts l-l. The grooves last referred to are of sufficient depth as they approach the heel portion of the parts 1-1 to completely take the width of the wedging member 5, so that, when in its rearmost position, the wedge 5 permits the parts 1-1 to contact with each other. At a point adjacent to what corresponds in the stretcher to theball of the foot, the grooves in the parts 1-1 sharply decrease in depth until they terminate at the adjoining surface of the parts 1-1, so that when the wedge-is forced forward between them the parts 1-1 are forced apart to their greatest stretching capacity. Screw means 4 is rotatably secured to the wedge 5, so that by turning the handle 6 the wedge 5 may be forced through its threaded passage in the enlarged portion of the stud 2 forward or backward to force the parts l-l apart or to allow them to approach and finally contact with each other.

The mechanism comprising the auxiliary stretching means to which the present invention particularly relates will now be described: These means consist broadly of an application or adaptation of the C-clamp in conjunction with an interior stretcher or shoe filler. A soleengaging clamping member consisting preferably of a piece of strap iron has a straight portion '7 terminating at one end in a bent-over portion 8, designed to be hooked over the edge of one side of the sole of a shoe; the opposite end, namely; the portion 9 of the said clamping 1 member, is upwardly curved and bent so as to provide a proper angle for the application of the screw clamping means about to be described. Adjacent to the end of the portion 9 of the clamping member there is screw-threaded therethrough a rod 10 equipped at one end with a handle 11 and at the other with a ball and socket rotatable connection with the pressure plate 12. The side of the plate 12 opposite its socket connection with the rod 10 may be padded, as indicated at 13, to prevent mutilation or injury to the vamp of the shoe to which it is applied.

One of the applications of the device to a shm is shown in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, from which it will be seen that the curved end portion 8 of the clamp member may be hooked over one edge of the sole of the shoe, and the straight portion 7 laid across the bottom of the sole, in which position screw pressure applied through the rod 11 pressing plate'12 with its interposed pad 13 against one side of the vamp of the shoe will force that portion of the vamp with its enclosed old form of stretcher or shoe tree filler towards the opposite side, and thus concentrate pressure at a point above the curved end of portion 8 of the clamping member. It is obvious that the device may be applied to either side of the shoe and may be so placed and adjusted as to concentrate pressure at any desired point on either side of the vamp and also that .the interior stretcher or filler may be built out at any desired point to further increase or localize stretching. It is also obvious that the parts may be reversed, and the device so designed as to apply screw pressure to the sole of the shoe while holding the vamp. Various modifications of the device will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art, and I do not desire by showing one of its forms to disclaim others in which shapes and forms of parts may be modified or screw and holding means reversed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

1. In a device of the character described, a clamping frame consisting of a metal bar adapted when in position on a shoe to extend across the bottom of the sole, a hook at one end of the said clamping frame adapted to engage the edge of the sole of the shoe, and screw clamping means at the opposite end of said clamping frame to engage the vamp of the shoe and force a filling means within the shoe towards the opposite side thereof.

2. In a device of the character described, a clamping frame consisting of a metal bar hooked at one end to enga e the edge of the sole of a shoe and having an upturned support at its opposite end, screw clamping means carried by said. upturned support and adapted to be applied to the vamp of the shoe to force the stretching means Within the shoe towards the opposite side thereof.

WARREN A. RIX. 

